Centre must reach out to people of Kashmir, says Aiyar

As the Kashmir simmers, senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar today advised the Centre to reach out to the people in the militancy-affected state and start a political process there while tackling the unrest.
"While action is necessary against militancy and terrorism, military and police actions on their own are not the answer (to people's grievances)," he told reporters after releasing a book at a function here.
"It (action by security forces) has to be accompanied by political process which requires the establishment in Delhi to reach out to the unhappy Kashmiris," the former Union Minister said.
"The steps taken under (then PMs) Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan Singh to have a dialogue with the Hurriyat and other elements and also Pakistan created an atmosphere of considerable peace," the diplomat-turned-politician said.

"(Chief Minister) Mehbooba Mufti was once seen as a ray of hope for the Kashmiris, but she is now working under the shadow of BJP," he said.
"In my personal view (elucidated in a magazine article) this Government (of PDP-BJP) should be dissolved and fresh election be held in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
At least 42 people have died till today in the latest round of unrest in the Kashmir Valley, where curfew has been imposed.
Clashes between protesters and security forces began soon after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter on July 8.